the fury in your head
by sad-goomy
Summary: Moon dreams of escaping her life as the oracle of Tapu Koko. It's a life of reliving painful memories, being chained to an island, and repeating the same cycles. But when an ancient cycle is disrupted and the Alola region begins slipping into chaos, she has no choice but to become everything she was meant to be. Everything she feared she would become.
1. Chapter 1

She awakens to the dying shouts of warriors past echoing in her head.

 _RISE RISE RISE_

Clutching her head, she sits up with a groan and tries to remember a time when her temples didn't throb from a cacophony of war cries.

She can't remember a time before the temple, before the orders, before the deity.

"What?" she growls as she gets up, the rickety bed groaning from her weight. One of these days, it'll collapse on her; one of these days, this ancient shed will come crashing down right on top of her. But still she returns every night, because it's the only bed she will ever sleep in.

 _CLEAR THE OFFERINGS_ , the voices roar, right in her ears. It tumbles to her chest and pounds against her rib cage. _COLLECT WHAT'S YOURS, LEAVE WHAT'S MINE_

"Wait." She stumbles to the basin filled with water, splashing her face to clear the last of the nightmares from her head. "Just wait." The voices subside momentarily, leaving her to listen to the few flying Pokémon brave enough to settle in the trees surrounding the temple. She adjusts the scrap of mirror leaning on the end table she has deemed her bathroom, then sets to work getting herself ready for the day, her few toiletries stark contrasts of white and blue against the brown floorboards covered in moss.

Her head is too peaceful for too long, she realizes as she slides her feet into espadrilles, the only pair of shoes she's ever owned.

Tapu Koko seems to agree, as his voice, the voices of war, assaults her head with a vengeance.

 _GO TO THE OFFERINGS AND CARE FOR MY SHRINE_

"I know," she hisses in response, wishing the pounding of fists against the inside of her forehead would dull already, and breathing a sigh of relief when they do. She grabs her bag, takes a glance over her shell of a home, and completes the mental list of errands for the day.

Carefully she navigates the steep hill down to the temple, sliding and catching herself in the same tricky spots she has come to know all too well over the years, a practiced string of swears escaping her. By the time she has trekked her way down to the temple entrance, she's covered in a thin layer of dust that she leans down and half-heartedly brushes off her jeans, the denim cut high above her ankles and distressed from years of living.

A small cry causes her to pause in her work and lift her head, smiling when she sees a Jangmo-o padding out of the temple. "Any intruders, Ku?" The Pokémon responds by stopping before her and proudly sticking out his chest, the metal scales on his back clanging. The young woman gives the creature an appreciated scratch on the back of the head, mumbling, "What a good guard."

Ku follows her into the temple, watching her tuck a short lock of black hair behind her ears before reaching out to trace the stone walls with her fingertips, eons of worship and destruction trickling into her veins. Her other hand goes to the orange stone around her neck, feeling it pulse with heat, alerting her to his wakened state.

"You're tense today," she muses out loud, wondering if he's in the temple hiding but knowing he will hear her all the same. The echoes of her footsteps dissipate as she enters the shrine, gazing upon the offerings, her Jangmo-o sitting at the entrance to the room.

"But I suppose you're tense most days. It's your nature." She thinks for a moment longer before climbing the stairs to the platform to work on properly arranging the meager offerings placed before the statue. "It's my nature."

She goes through the food, taking the pieces of fruit that will serve as her and Ku's breakfast, and placing the rest in a circle, a hefty plate of barbecued meat serving as the centerpiece. Several leis are laid out, and she places them by color on the statue, just as Tapu Koko has taught her. Her final task is then to go through the small amount of money, counting it in her head and depositing all of it into the pocket of her bag.

A growl behind her alerts her to approaching footsteps. As Ku's growls subside, a gruff voice chuckles. "Stealing from a shrine, huh? Man, I was just gonna mess some shit up, but I guess we got a new recruit."

"She looks scrawny, Boss," another voice chides, muffled by something. She turns slowly to see what it could be, and finds two men with bandanas covering half of their faces, flanking a third man with white hair and a gaudy golden chain that makes her raise a brow.

The second grunt, and the third voice, lets out a low whistle. "Damn girl, the bags under your eyes are practically designer. You don't sleep or something?"

The air has grown stale around them and she feels her stomach roll in nausea. The instincts he's gifted her scream that none of them should be here, and as if to echo her, warriors bang spears and maces against their shields as Tapu Koko screeches in her head, _INSOLENT, ARROGANT FOOLS_

"Are you here to leave an offering?" she asks slowly. The electricity of the deity's rage shoots through her arms, and she calms it by clenching her fists, building the tension in her hands. Ku notices her stiff stance, and quickly climbs the stairs to stand next to her, metal scales clanging and battle pose defiant.

The leader of the trio, the original speaker, places his hands on his hips, an eyebrow shooting to the ceiling. "You dumb or something? Do I look like I give free food to some fake god that never did anything for me?"

She blinks, her nails digging into her palms as her fist clench ever tighter to keep the rage of fallen warriors from spilling out of her. "Then are you here to speak to Tapu Koko directly?"

"Boss, what's this chick on about?"

"Dude I think she's crazy."

"That's a pity," the leader sighs, giving a theatrical shrug. "But what can you do? Not everybody's cut out for Team Skull." His gray eyes land on the dragon at her side, something sinister taking over his smirk. "But that lil guy could make it pretty far with us. How's about we take him off your hands, free of charge?"

 _THEY DO NOT BELIEVE, THEY DO NOT DESERVE TO BE IN MY TEMPLE_

She closes her eyes, the world too red for her vision. "You should leave if you have no business with the tapu," she says through clenched teeth, her head beginning to ache once more with clamoring warriors and past victorious celebrations.

One of the grunts takes a half-step forward. "Aw, you getting mad because we ain't about these island deities?"

"No," she states simply, "But Tapu Koko is."

"And how do you know?" the leader snarls with a crooked smirk that stretches his face. "You got some special connection with the guy?"

Her legs burn with the need to run, to kick, to shove their faces in the dirt until they realize her true power and the respect they should give her.

 _THEY WILL BE BROUGHT TO THEIR KNEES_

"I do," she replies with the ease of someone who is used to voices in her head and nightmares in her bed. "Because I am the oracle of this temple."

The shrine falls silent as they stare at each other, faces equally unreadable.

Then, the trio bursts into laughter.

Tapu Koko simply bursts.

She hisses under her breath, clutching her head as stampeding armies invade her body. Ku releases a burst of blue fire, one that nearly reaches the other side of the room but that does little to silence the cackling trio or even get their attention. They'll be silent soon enough, she knows, as she clutches her throat and feels the flames of war escape her mouth, forcing her jaw open as a voice that simultaneously does and does not belong to her booms, " _WHO ARE YOU TO DISTURB THIS TEMPLE_ "

One of the grunts is the first to realize the voice is in the room with them, his eyes wildly scanning the shrine. "What the hell was that?" Their eyes fall on the young woman before them, the orange stone now a glowing ember against her skin as her gray eyes burn like a magma flow.

Her mouth remains open as the statue behind her rumbles. _"YOU DARE LAUGH AT A GOD"_

An impossible lighting strike hits the stone floor of the hallway behind them, causing the trio to jump in their skins and step closer together, paralyzed as they look at the golden aura now surrounding the mysterious girl.

 _"I HAVE DESTROYED ARMIES, CREATED EMPIRES, AND STRUCK DOWN THOSE WHO DARE DEFY ME"_

Another lightning strike, this time in the center of the room, in between the trio and the platform, and a silhouette. Thunder rolls off the stone walls, ancient war chants rise from the floor, and the two grunts turn and run, yelling disjointed thoughts that can't be heard over the tapu's rage. The leader stays, the sunglasses atop his head now askew, his eyes wide with fear and awe as he remains rooted to the ground. Lightning collects in the center of the room, a final burst revealing the silhouette to be Tapu Koko, who hops side to side, ready to strike, his eyes piercing into the intruder's. The oracle's body remains glowing, and her eyes have become coal, a fire burning. Her Jangmo-o remains at her side, every nerve alert as it watches the island deity face the stranger.

 _"YOU DARE NOT BELIEVE IN MY POWER"_

Finally, the leader can move his head, shaking it slowly as if to rid his eyes of the impossible sight before him. His heart pounds blood into his feet, forcing them to slowly back away from the rage of the guardian and the glowing oracle.

 _"LEAVE MY TEMPLE AND DO NOT RETURN UNTIL YOU CAN APPEASE MY RAGE"_

And he does just that, his feet picking up their pace, his eyes glued to the deity in the center of the room, even as his body begins to turn. He tears his gaze away and runs down the hall, the crashing beat of war drums following his every step.

The glow of the oracle's body dulls, her eyes once more gray and tired. She leans over, hands on her knees as she coughs violently, feeling herself being shoved back into her skin. Ku watches in concern, but her eyes go up to look at Tapu Koko, who turns slowly to her. Once she feels her spirit settling back into her body, she asks with a tired smirk, "A bit much, don't you think?"

The tapu gazes at her with narrowed eyes, the anger slowly leaving his body. _I DO NOT CARE FOR THOSE WHO WILL NOT RESPECT ME OR MY ORACLE_

"So I've noticed," she mutters, straightening and tucking the glowing stone necklace under her shirt. The round stone is now pleasantly warm against her skin, rather than a hot iron burning her. "I don't, either, but we differ in how we deal with them."

His iridescent eyes bore into her, but even in the years she's spent around the island guardian, she's come no closer to deciphering what lies behind his gaze.

 _YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BE TREATED THIS WAY_

She swallows a lump in her throat, and simply looks back at him. There are a lot of things she doesn't deserve to have happen to her. She doesn't deserve to live without memories, to live away from the rest of the world, to have her body taken over by an ancient deity of war.

But here she stands, having all of these and more thrown at her until she collapses on a bed older than her only to wake up more tired than she began.

Tapu Koko senses her unspoken thoughts, and with a flash of light and the bang of shields he's gone, leaving them all unspoken and her mind empty of his presence. The oracle sighs, looking at the empty room before her and feeling the familiar loneliness climbing up onto her shoulders.

She looks down at the Jangmo-o at her side and smiles, picking up the bag of Mago and Aguav slices she's set aside for the two of them, and giving Ku a slice of fruit, smiling as he nibbles. The two walk down the stairs, the oracle popping a slice of Mago into her mouth as her footsteps echo on the empty stone floor once more.

"All that before breakfast," she thinks out loud, pausing before the temple's exit to give Ku another slice of Aguav that he greedily devours. She looks out at the sparse jungle surrounding the temple, the leaves seeming to hide something from her eyes. "Things are getting restless here."

And a restless Tapu Koko, she has found, is her least favorite kind.

* * *

 **A/N:** **This is a bit of a darker AU I've been developing for a while, so hopefully you guys stick around even though it might seem a little odd or a very big departure from the original games.**


	2. Chapter 2

She is used to the hushed whispers and concerned looks that follow her on her walk through Iki Town.

The residents never approach her, and she can't blame them for staying away from the shadow of destruction and chaos. If she catches their eye, they give a solemn nod or polite smile, but they don't dare approach the oracle of the Temple of Conflict.

By the time she reaches Hau'oli City, those who pass by her won't even know her title.

A gentle voice, roughened by the years, calls out, "Alola Moon!" She turns and gives a tired smile to the kahuna, watching him walk towards her with the smile of a grandfather. The Jangmo-o at her feet swallows the last of his breakfast – the final slice of Mago – and does his best to contain his excitement at seeing the old kahuna. "And Ku, of course."

"Alola," Moon mumbles, noticing a gaggle of children hiding behind a nearby house, watching their beloved Hala approach the mysterious oracle they have no doubt heard only rumors about. She gives them a shy wave and they scatter, giggling. The sight of their youthful energy reminds her of a boy she used to know, and she asks, "Have you heard from Hau?"

Hala nods with a jovial grunt, his hands resting on the cloth tied around his stomach. "I'm still about as useful as a Magikarp with technology, but we managed to have a call this week," he tells her, smiling at the rare chuckle that escapes her. He hesitates, doing his best to avoid sowing the seeds of resentment. "Tapu Bulu is doing fine, and Hau's connecting well with it."

Envy flares in her heart as she picks up the undertones of his statement. It's no secret that Tapu Bulu is the most laidback of the guardians, and to hear about how comfortable an oracle could be only to know that she will have to serve Tapu Koko for her life stabs her in the gut. "I'm glad," she replies, swallowing the last of her jealousy, just as she's taught herself to do years ago when she would watch others go about their day without the clamor of war chants in their heads. "Maybe he'll be able to visit soon."

They both know it's a near impossibility; no oracle would dare to leave their island without a direct order from the deity they must attend to. All the same, Hala and Moon nod at the slim possibility, before the kahuna remembers why he originally wanted to stop her. "I saw a shady bunch run out of the temple earlier. Were they giving you trouble?"

He doesn't mention that one of them is hauntingly familiar to him, a boy he watched grow up, a boy he couldn't quite save.

She hesitates. "They angered the tapu," she explains, choosing her words carefully as Ku looks up at her with curious eyes, "So he decided to scare them a little. They shouldn't be a problem."

Hala nods, realizing his suspicions were correct, and that the scratch in her throat is no doubt from the tapu speaking through her. "I'll keep an eye on the entrance. Can't hurt to be a little more careful," he says, protective instincts from years of guiding the island and raising children coming through. He's always had a soft spot of pity and guilt for the frail girl in front of him, prompting him to remind her, "You know, Moon, that you can always ask for my help."

"I know." And she doesn't ask for his help. She doesn't ask for anyone's help, for anyone to come close, for anyone to become involved in the grinding down of her spirit. The freckles of on her cheeks dance as she frowns down at Ku, who has grown restless and tries to tell her so by butting his head against her knee. "I should go get started on his daily training and running errands."

Hala watches her fidget with the strap of her bag, sensing her growing unease. "Right, let me know if you need anything," he says, disliking feeling useless as she walks away with a smile and a wave. He waves back and turns around to find the gaggle of children re-formed, still hiding behind the building and watching him, so he puts on his Tutu face and his hands on his hips as he laughs. "And do we have spies in our midst? Or some future trainers who want to take a ride on Tauros?"

The children's laughter grows softer as Moon walks down the path to the sea, her heart clenching as she looks down at Ku. "Maybe one day they'll like me," she whispers to him, her eyes on the road ahead.

* * *

Hau'oli City is sunny and inviting as ever as she exits the general store, another batch of migraine medicine in her bag, and her wallet slightly emptier. She frowns, pausing outside of the shop to go through her wallet, her Jangmo-o stopping alongside her and watching. Moon looks down at the Pokémon with a weary smile, saying, "Looks like I'll have to live with the headaches after this runs out."

She remembers Tapu Koko once booming of how the oracles of ages past would be greeted like kings, every citizen bowing as the sacred figures passed them in the streets. They would want for nothing, their every need taken care of by adoring villagers who wanted their aid and to hear the words of the tapu recited to them.

Now the temple is in ruins and she scrapes the bottom of her wallet for extra change when the offerings run too low.

"Now the library," she sighs, tucking her wallet away once more and leading Ku through the street. She's reached into her bag and pulled out her latest book, finished right on time and ready to be traded for another escape.

The stone under her shirt begins to warm against her skin, and the grumbles of soldiers begin at the back of her head. _FRIVOLOUS_ , Tapu Koko scoffs, _UNBECOMING OF AN ORACLE_

She rolls her eyes. "Can't I enjoy something?" With a sigh she ignores the curious stare of a tourist, who's no doubt wondering if it's customary to speak to oneself in public in Alola. Only if you don't have any dignity left, she thinks, tucking the novel under her arm and glancing down to make sure Ku stays close to her as they walk, the street ahead beginning to get crowded with late afternoon pedestrians.

 _BOOKS WILL NOT TEACH YOU ANYTHING THAT I CANNOT ALREADY_

Moon huffs to herself as she pushes gently through the crowd, claustrophobia mingling with irritation. Somehow I doubt that, she concludes in her mind, thankful when the tapu has no retort and eases his presence on her mind instead. As proud as the deity may be, it knows when to leave the young woman be; there's only so far she can be bent, although she wonders sometimes if she's already been broken.

The humble library comes into view, just past the Pokémon Center. She's heard Melemele residents complain that the building is nothing compared to the impressive structure on Ula'ula Island, but to her it's a haven. She opens the door, walking into the familiar building and feeling a deep tranquility wash over her as she takes in the meticulously organized shelves of books.

She walks up to the counter, the librarian recognizing her instantly, the usual concerned but happy smile on her face as she adjusts her glasses. "Moon, how did you like my recommendation?"

"Just like you said," she replies, setting the book on the counter, "An epic fantasy."

Ku growls, and the librarian looks over the counter with a smile. "Hello, Ku. I'm glad you're behaving yourself and controlling your fire." The women laugh as the Pokémon looks proud of this accomplishment, puffing out his chest of clanging scales. Melemele's librarian gives Moon a nod as she tells her, "Unfortunately we don't have any new arrivals, but I'm sure you can dig up something you haven't read yet."

"Always do," Moon mumbles, gesturing for Ku to follow her as she takes to the shelves, eyes wandering over the familiar spines as she walks. She walks for a few minutes before settling on searching the History section. She goes to the end of the aisle and crouches, her fingers caressing the spines of the forgotten books. She's only read her way through half of his section, mostly to avoid encounters on the pages with the very duties and deity she faces every day.

When she takes too long to browse the titles, Ku begins to whine, growing bored of the peaceful library, the air warm and heavy and making him lethargic. "Just a few more minutes," Moon soothes the Jangmo-o, scratching the back of his head before turning her gaze back to her possibilities. None of the titles truly grab her until she settles on one that sounds oddly out of place among the biographies and textbooks: Exploring Alien Encounters that Shaped Alola.

That's a mouthful, she thinks with a laugh, but picks the book up all the same, curious about its grand size and lackluster cover. As she turns it in her hands and opens to the first page to test out the introduction, Ku's metal scales begin to clang as he moves to look at something out of the nearby window. Her head turns and her gaze follows with a small smile. "What is it?"

Then her mouth falls open at the sight of the impossible Pokémon waiting outside with its owner. Its body is a mixture of brown, green, and steel-like gray, a fierce gaze hidden under an imposing helmet. She forgets how to breathe as she stands and walks closer to the window, her grip on the novel tightening from an onslaught of emotions that quickly settles into curiosity. Her experience with Pokémon is, admittedly, lacking; besides Ku, she's only ever encountered the creatures of Melemele Island, but at the professor's insistence, she's kept a field guide on her that's filled with images and descriptions of Pokémon she will never see in person. The creature in front of her, however, is nothing like what she's studied at night by candlelight. It stands next to its owner, body tense and eyes searching for danger under the shade of the tree.

Ku seems intent on trying to get a closer look at the mysterious Pokémon, and scratches at the window, a whine escaping his body. Moon tsks him, out of manners and the fear that the Pokémon and its owner will somehow hear.

The owner is a young man around her age with a choppy cut of blond hair and bored green eyes. His dark clothing is a sharp contrast to his pale skin, and she's all too familiar with the dark circles under his eyes. Beyond that, though, there's a deeper familiarity bubbling to the surface the longer she observes him. I know him, she thinks with a determined frown, and her knuckles turn white as she grips her book tighter out of frustration of being unable to place the young man in her foggy memory. She watches as he rolls something in his fingers with practiced ease, and between him, the unknown object in his hands, and the intimidating creature at his side, Moon's mind is swimming in theories and questions.

Before she can even try to come up with any answers, the stranger looks to his left and quickly returns his Pokémon into a Pokéball, mumbling something to the figures that approach him. Ku ceases scratching and Moon's eyes widen slightly as the trio from earlier comes into view, two grunts trailing behind the white-haired leader who displays a disgruntled scowl as he shouts something back to the blond trainer. She desperately wishes she could read lips, but that would mean an uninterrupted life not spent in solitary, and so she's left guessing at what the group is discussing. The leader and the trainer with the unidentifiable Pokémon grow increasingly annoyed at each other until the ringleader throws his hands up in the air, clearly done with the conversation and turning, his eyes catching sight of the window for the briefest moment.

Moon hides against the wall, heart thudding to a standstill. She's far from afraid of him, but he seems the troublesome type, the type that the tapu would want her to get involved with to emerge bruised and victorious – the type she just wants to avoid. The stone around her neck warms, and she curses under her breath, shutting her eyes tight as an army begins to chant in her chest.

 _WHY DO YOU HIDE_

 _Because I still have bruises from the last fight you had me start._

 _THAT IS HOW YOU GROW STRONGER_  
 _GROW STRONGER_  
 _GROW STRONGER AND DEFEAT THEM_

A tree of scars comes alive on her back, and when she opens her eyes the world is drowning in scarlet. Her muscles ache to lash out, and the war drums pounding between her ears nearly make her feet march to the rhythm.

But she's grown used to his temptation, and the tapu has learned when she won't listen. Just as quickly as he fills her with fury, he lets it dissipate in irritation, letting her think clearly once more.

Ku has crouched below the window, and she raises her index finger to her lips, urging her Pokémon to remain quiet as her ears prick at the sound of nearing footsteps and voices that are growing louder. One is the same gruff tone as the older leader, and the other is foreign to her.

"-swear someone's watching."

"You're paranoid, Guzma."

She slides away from the window, behind a nearby shelf, Ku quick to join her and stay at her feet as the two hold their breath. Electricity dances on her palms, her nerves alive with the sense of danger. The tapu hasn't completely given up his hold on her, but the stone on her chest is cooling and she locks her legs into place. If she can stay here in the shadows until this all passes, she can be safe.

 _THERE IS NO STRENGTH IN SAFETY_

 _There aren't any broken bones, either._

A moment of silence. Then two.

"Looks like an empty library to me."

"I don't pay ya for smart-ass observations, kid." There's a tap at the glass and an amused hum. "Could've sworn it was that temple girl." So he did see me.

She can practically hear the eye-roll in the voice that must belong to the not-quite-stranger. "You mean the one who definitely glowed and summoned an ancient deity?"

"Oracles are a real thing Gladbag. Look that shit up."

"You don't even believe in the tapus."

"Yeah, well when one almost electrocutes your ass, you start believing real quick. Anyway, let's get out of here. I got this feeling we're being watched and it's giving me the heebie-jeebies."

Their footsteps fade and Moon breathes once more, Ku releasing the tension built up in his muscles. Her mind reels as the image of that mysterious Pokémon and its owner replay in her head, a thousand more questions beginning to sprout. If she could just track those people, find that blond trainer again, then maybe he would remember her. Maybe she could know who she once was, and she could know what was in his hands, and she could know what that creature was, and she could know why this all ties back to the trio from the temple.

But then what? she thinks, eyes boring a hole into the hardwood floor of the library as she frowns at herself. I'll know about a life I can never have and grow more bitter. The cons of going after the group, along with the near impossibility of finding them again without stepping off Melemele, begin to far outweigh the pros, and Moon sighs as she gives Ku's head a scratch.

Her eyes land on the book still in her hands. "That couldn't have been an alien, right?" she asks the Jangmo-o at her feet, who only looks up at her with a blank expression.

But then she couldn't be connected to an ancient deity, she couldn't make a life out of tending a temple, she couldn't relive the lives of warriors in her sleep each night, right?

She goes to check out the book without another thought, deciding she's going to scour it for every last drop of information that could possibly relate to that fascinating beast.

She just needs one question in her life to be answered.


	3. Chapter 3

_Waves crash against the boat, a drummer carrying the rhythm of each row, tanned arms pushing oars through uncooperative water. The men chant, their eyes ablaze as they gaze upon their target, an island twice smaller than theirs, with inhabitants that could never fight against the weapons they carry in the hull of their boats._

 _But as they approach, they find no one waiting to face them in battle. Ships have set sail and left the island to its flora and fauna, lying in wait. They cheer too soon, triumphant at a victory they can reach out and grasp with just a few more strokes of their oars._

 _The tides begin to push harder against them. When they push back, their oars begin to snap._

 _Their boats stop._

 _The men shout at each other, the drummer pausing and the first to spot the figure rising from the sea like a ghost. Its black arms reach out, the water beneath the boat beginning to spiral. The smart abandon ship immediately and paddle to shore as fast as their bodies can be pushed; the brave stay and stare down their attacker with solemn faces._

 _A whirlpool eclipses the sea, and the screams turn to silence once more as a purple shell descends into the ocean depths._

* * *

Moon feels her eyes open as her mind slowly returns from her dream. She sits up in her bed, blanket sliding down her body as she surveys the room. _Exploring Alien Encounters that Shaped Alola_ lies on the floor next to a half-burned candle, and Ku unfurls from his tightly coiled sleeping position by the foot of her bed, stretching. She smiles at the sight before it turns back into a frown; if the Jangmo-o snuck in through the open window last night, it means that Tapu Koko was somewhere in the temple and may still be there. It would explain the pulsing heat emanating from the stone around her neck that woke her this morning.

As she brings her feet over the side of her bed, she pauses, thinking back on the memory masquerading as a dream. She tells the air, fingers going to the glowing sunset stone, "You've never had memories of the ocean before."

Foot soldiers behind her eyes slow their march, murmuring amongst themselves. The tapu has never hesitated when speaking to her before, and so she sits straighter.

 _I WAS GUARDING MY TEMPLE AS YOU SLEPT_  
 _I SENT YOU NO DREAMS ORACLE_

But it was a memory, one of an ancient power that's connected to her soul. She stands and gets ready for another day, and she can feel the soldiers in her mind growing restless as the tapu booms, _WAS A TAPU AT THE CENTER OF THE MEMORY_

"It must have been," she mumbles, splashing her face with water, jolting her thoughts into piecing the mystery together, "So Tapu Fini is – "

 _I MUST GO TO PONI ISLAND AT ONCE_

And before she can even begin to question the deity, the marching of an army fades and the stone around her neck grows colder. With a sigh, she looks over at Ku, who watches her with a tilt of his head. "Looks like I'll never get a straight answer," she tells the Jangmo-o as she stands, wiping the last remnants of fitful sleep from her eyes.

As she gets ready, her gaze keeps flitting back to the novel lying next to her bed. Unfortunately, Exploring Alien Encounters that Shaped Alola has proved less than useful in trying to identify the mysterious Pokémon she spotted yesterday, but at least it's proved entertaining and interesting to read.

She slides her bag over her shoulder before picking up the hardcover book, turning it in her hands for a moment and gazing at the back cover, a photo of the author tucked into the corner. He has a kind smile, eccentrically messy blond hair, and a name she isn't sure how to pronounce. There's also something comforting about the image, and the voice of his writing feels like that of a kind professor. Moon makes a mental note to see if the Hau'oli City library has any more of his work the next time she visits, thinking with a smile, _Maybe I'll figure out how to open one of those Ultra Wormholes._

Tucking the book into her bag, she takes a breath before exiting her shack, Ku on her heels as she navigates down the hill towards the temple.

 _Or maybe I'll never get off this island._

* * *

"Tackle!"

She watches as Ku follows her command and slams the wild Meowth into the ground, letting out a triumphant cry as the wild Pokémon slinks away with its light injuries, the tall grass soon hiding its form once more.

"That's enough, Ku," Moon calls from her spot in the shade of a tree. She reaches into her bag and takes out a Pokébean as the Jangmo-o trots to her, watching with eager eyes before snatching the food from her palm and finishing it in a single bite. "You're hungry," she laughs, adding with a small smile, "We'll get an actual meal soon."

She turns her gaze to the ocean nearby, taunting her with its vastness. Before she can shove the thought out of her head, her usual fantasy invades her mind. One of these days, she'll build a boat – maybe even just a raft – and take to the sea without a second thought, traveling for days, weeks on end, as far away as she can get from the ball and chain that weighs her to this island. And she'll fall asleep each night under a curtain of stars and open air, and when she closes her eyes, there will only be black and peaceful sleep, and not vivid memories of battles raged on mountaintops or weapons forged in flames.

Her eyes take in the cerulean waves, watching them crash against the cliffside, Wingulls crying in the air, flying effortlessly on the breeze. She frowns, realizing how peaceful her thoughts remain. Surely Tapu Koko has caught on to how she's feeling and her imagination has run too wild for him to not notice. More than once he's interrupted her daydreams to chastise her for shirking her duties as oracle, for not recognizing the responsibility of her position.

He must still be on Poni, she realizes, reaching into her shirt and pulling out the stone to feel that it remains cold and lifeless.

 _Shame, I was so looking forward to another migraine._

A charming voice snaps her out of her thoughts. "Good afternoon, Moon."

The oracle jumps no less than a foot into the air, her heart leaping to her throat. As she tries to regulate her heartbeat once more, she looks and tries not to frown at the sight of neat pink hair and perfectly pressed trousers. From the way he raises a brow, she's failed to completely hide her grimace. "Hello, Ilima."

"Happy to see me as always," he mumbles with a good-natured smile. Their relationship has always been an odd one, and being the intelligent young man that he is, Ilima is more than certain he knows exactly why. Despite that fact, he brings up the very topic that stirs the most contention between them when he notes, "Ku is developing well, all things considered."

Moon looks down at her Jangmo-o who's laid down in the shade to rest. "He doesn't mind not having a pack." She remembers the dog-eared page in her field guide, detailing the large groups of his kind said to roam the Vast Poni Canyon; yet she found him all alone and hissing at anything that dared approach him.

 _Not unlike me._

Ilima nods, asking with a curious tilt of his head, "Do you still not know how he ended up at the temple?" She shakes her head, and the two watch Ku as he yawns, before looking up at the trial captain with a blank expression. As Ilima observes the Pokémon, he begins a tired argument, "You know where I stand on having Ku go through my trial. It would only be beneficial to his growth."

She raises a brow. "And then what?" she asks gently, like she's asked him so many times before, and it still manages to silence him. He avoids her eyes, silently admitting his defeat this time rather than prod her further. Her eyes soften ever so slightly and her shoulders drop as she looks down at her Jangmo-o, who looks back at her with a smile that she can't quite return.

The two are quiet for a moment, before the trial captain breaks the silence. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to bother you incessantly." She says nothing, instead leaning down to give Ku a scratch. "I actually meant to tell you something else entirely," he continues, waiting until she's looking at him once more before explaining with an easy smile, "Professor Kukui has a new assistant who's interested in the tapus, specifically in visiting the temples."

"They're free to visit anytime."

"Would you be able to guide her there?"

Moon hesitates. How can she possibly begin to explain why she can't? How can she tell him that even this conversation is draining her and making her fidget, that she doesn't want to bring people any closer, that the last thing she ever wants to talk about is the temple or the tapu or the life she faces every day?

She can't, and so instead she stalls by stammering out, "Why?"

"She doesn't have any Pokemon, so she's understandably nervous about going alone," he explains, patient and understanding with her as always, which only makes her want to grind her teeth and run further away.

"You could do it," she argues, crossing her arms. "You know the history."

He lets out a small laugh, shaking his head as he retorts, "I certainly do, but as the oracle, I think you'll be a much bigger help to her."

There's no way she can weasel out of it, and so Moon sighs, casting her eyes once more towards the ocean. _All I need is a boat_ , she thinks wistfully, a solitary escape only growing in appeal, _Or maybe a wormhole_. "When?" she asks, accepting her fate as she looks back at the young man in front of her.

The trial captain nods with a smile of success. "Tomorrow afternoon, around three. She'll be at the lab. I think you'll like her, she's a quiet but sweet girl named Lillie." His description has no effect on the oracle, and he adds after a moment, "Actually, she also doesn't like battling."

Moon feels her face turn into a hesitant protest. "It's not – "

"Ilima!" The pair turn to see a trial volunteer waving from the entrance of Verdant Cavern, hand cupped to his mouth as he shouts, "The next challenger will be here in an hour!"

With a sheepish grin, the trial captain turns back to the young woman. "Sorry, but it seems that's my cue." She gives a nod and he responds with a wave, telling her over her shoulder, "I'll be seeing you, Moon."

She stands, watching him run up the path, her grip on the strap of her bag tightening. Her body releases the tension that's been building, and she closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them once more, she finishes her thought to no one.

"I don't like not having a choice."

* * *

As Moon exits the mall, Ku sniffs excitedly at the bag of takeout in her hand, doing his best to keep up with his owner's pace while trying to stick his face into the plastic bag.

"You'll have to wait until we get home," Moon laughs at the Pokémon, the two making their way down the quiet street of Hau'oli City's shopping district. _Odd, it's usually crowded in the afternoon_ , she wonders, looking for the missing signs of life.

The answer to her curiosity comes when her and Ku walk a few more blocks down the main road and find a large crowd gathered around a booth set up on the sidewalk in front of the beachfront. It's hard to see much past the mass of bodies, but her eyes catch several people in matching white uniforms, passing out pamphlets and going over charts with locals.

She crosses to the other side of the road, deciding the spectacle isn't interesting enough to warrant feelings of claustrophobia. Instead, she lets her mind wander to the book in her bag, and decides to take it out and carry it, both hands now full. She glances down at the author photo once more with a smile, and wonders about the man who wrote the novel, and his fascination with alien life and what he's deemed Ultra Wormholes. Maybe he's still searching for a way to travel to the dimension he's sure exists, and it's comforting to know someone else finds serenity in the stars at night, looking at them and wondering if –

"Hello, would you like a free check-up for your Jangmo-o?"

Moon blinks, startled back to reality by a kind face under a pristine white hat. She realizes the young man in front of her is dressed in the same crisp white uniform as the others at the booth, which looks even stranger and more foreign up close. "Who," she mumbles, taking an instinctive step back and glancing down at Ku, who looks tense under the gaze of the stranger, "Who exactly are you?"

The young man raises a brow before his smile comes back into place – the smile of a salesman, a public speaker, a man on a mission – as he explains, "I'm Lani, and I'm here today with the Aether Foundation."

She stares blankly at him. The smile falters.

"Do you…I'm sorry, do you not know about Aether?" he asks in wonder, as though he's found a new specimen in the field.

The oracle bristles under his microscope gaze. "Should I?"

Lani laughs, and it does little to ease her. Ku looks just as concerned, the dragon protectively placing himself between his owner and the strangely dressed young man. "I'm sorry, it's just a little surprising, although we haven't done a lot of work on Melemele specifically," Lani explains, posture all confidence and learned charisma, "But our organization is working on conservation on all four islands, as well as focusing on Pokémon health and activity, hence our little pop-up today offering free check-ups and information on how to get involved at Aether." His eyes go from scanning her face with precision to her iron grip on the novel she's brought to her chest like a shield. He raises a brow, chuckling, "Actually, you're reading the work of one of our founders."

Her brows furrow in trying to connect the jovial man she's built in her mind with the caricature of a scientist in front of her. "Is he still at Aether?"

"No, he – " Lani cuts himself off with a frown. His eyes go through her, as if questioning her every motive, and Ku crouches lower, subtly preparing to strike. The scientist shakes his head, settling on telling her simply, "There was an accident years ago. He's no longer with us."

"What kind of accident?"

"You sure have a lot of questions, huh?" He laughs again, but this time there's an edge to his voice that makes her frown, fists clenching. She doesn't care much for the scripted man, and from the way she feels a growl building in Ku, neither does her Pokémon. Lani's plastic smile returns and he looks down at the combative creature. "Well, how about a quick check-up to make sure your Jangmo-o is doing well?"

"He doesn't like being touched," she mutters, for once wishing she was back at the temple already.

Her comment doesn't deter Lani, who instead launches into small-talk he may as well have memorized beforehand. "Yes, I've worked with a few like him before, and they can certainly be a little testy," he says as he leans down, eyes observing Ku before he reaches out a hand, "But with a gentle touch, even the most aggressive of their kind will – "

Ku bites.

Lani howls.

Moon smirks. "Told you," she whispers, thoroughly unimpressed with the scientist crouching in front of her as he grips his hand, spewing obscenities under his breath. Ku looks more than pleased with himself, and he trots alongside his owner as the two walk around the Aether employee and continue on their way.

"You should get him into obedience training. Aether offers courses!" Lani manages to call after her, still rubbing his injured fingers.

In lieu of a response she raises her book slightly in acknowledgement and keeps walking, looking down at Ku with a smile, who looks up at her with a sparkle in his eyes. "Your behavior is fine," she tells the Pokémon, adding with a smirk, "But your instincts are even better."

* * *

One of his fellow scientists hands him an ice pack, watching Lani with a raised brow. "Going up to some girl and trying to touch a Jangmo-o that might as well be feral – I swear, you're the most reckless person I know," she sighs, brushing dust off her uniform.

He grins. "And I'm about to be the most well-paid."

Her eyes widen. "No," she breathes, turning quickly to try and catch a glimpse of the young woman, now just a tiny figure in the distance.

Lani laughs triumphantly, a self-congratulatory smirk on his face as he tells her, "Get Faba on the phone. Tell him I found the final oracle."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Maybe this is the AU where Aether has no ulterior motives, guys, you don't know.**


	4. Chapter 4

Moon yawns, doing her best to keep her eyes open as they strain to read by candlelight. One hand holds a pencil as she continues to make notes on a previously blank page at the back of her Pokémon field guide, the other going to feel the worryingly cold stone. _Still gone_ , she muses, chewing her bottom lip.

But all she can do is wait, and so she continues to make notes on the Ultra Beasts that Mohn has written about, doing her best to truncate his observations and copy the drawings. Normally she might have tucked away the outlandish creatures, their descriptions bordering on fantasy, but then the chimera Pokémon she still can't identify flashes in her head and she thinks otherwise. She's used to unlikely, so she figures now is the point in her life where she becomes comfortable with the nearly impossible.

It's lonely without Ku, who sensed Tapu Koko's absence and went to guard the temple, and it's tiring work to stay up late into the night, copying the words of a scientist. Her eyes begin to slip closed of their own accord, and she fights the heaviness of her eyelids.

The yawns start becoming wider and more frequent.

Her grip on the pencil loosens, and she stops writing entirely.

She falls asleep with _Exploring Alien Encounters that Shaped Alola's History_ and her field guide open on her bed, the candle still slowly burning.

* * *

 _They hide amongst the leaves, bodies torn and battered, breath coming out in ragged gasps as they clutch their weapons for life. Both sides can only guess at what the other will do next, and the forest presents no clues, remaining eerily silent with a war brought to a standstill. The presence of their deity strengthens all sides, content to watch the war unfold, growing in size like a wave approaching shore. Their prayers for an end, for a desperate conclusion to the weeks of fighting, fall on deaf ears. Theirs is a god of war, not peace._

 _And then a twig snaps and an arrow flies and the forest is brought to life with the sounds of death once more._

 _As they feel their limbs begging for mercy, blood spilling onto the battleground as freely as rain, there is a wind that blows gently from the east. A warrior pauses, watching as the figure floats over the war scene. A moment later, small scales descend from the air, and the battle halts again as the soldiers watch in awe._

 _A scale touches the torn arm of an archer, and then the wounds are healing, flesh repairing itself under his wondrous eyes._

 _Then there is rejoicing, weapons are dropped, and they bring their wounded to the falling scales, feeling the power of a deity coursing through their veins to fix the bloodshed. Enemies help enemies heal each other, watching as the pink shell floats above them, granting them the ultimate relief from a war no one could win._

 _But then some become greedy. They long for the rush of adrenaline and power, and as they catch the scales, they see their limbs distorting, taking on unnatural shades, and then they're shrieking in unimaginable pain and feel their organs –_

* * *

She wakes with a scream, jolting upright in her bed.

Her breathing is shallow and arrhythmic, her eyes wild as she feels as though her mind and body are still separated. _Just a memory, just a memory,_ some semblance of her sanity chants, slowly bringing Moon back into her body, feeling the stiff mattress underneath her. As her heartbeat slows, she forces herself to take deep breaths, her fingers shaking as they go to check the stone resting on her collarbone.

It chills her skin, and though she knows what it means, she still calls out, "Tapu Koko?"

The hut remains quiet, except for the far-off cries of rising Pokémon beginning their day in the forest. She sits for another moment in silence before deflating. _Something's wrong,_ she decides, standing with unstable legs, _Horribly wrong._ Morning light filters into the room, gently guiding her to the wash basin as she repeatedly splashes her face with water – an attempt to truly awaken from the nightmare.

As she grips the edges of the basin, she uses the cool metal to ground her, feeling her feet become firm. Something's wrong, she thinks once more, before her reflection frowns back at her. And I can't do anything except wait. She wonders if Tapu Koko is also aware of Tapu Lele's distress signal, but their bond is a one-way mirror that leaves her in the dark of the interrogation room, wondering when she'll see another glimpse of her captor.

But these are all thoughts she's grown used to, and they serve as background noise as she brushes her teeth, her mind now trying to focus on a promise she made the other day. Something with Ilima, and the professor, and becoming a guide –

She spits out the window, aimed at the dry patch of shriveled grass that has seen far too much toothpaste. _Lillie. I'm guiding an assistant, Lillie, to the temple at three_ , she remembers, going to rinse her mouth and spitting once more out the window. As she dresses for the day, neuroses and anxieties begin to pile up, and Moon wants nothing more than to crawl back into bed. Then the nightmare flashes in her mind's eye once more and she decides that as much as she wants to hide from the world, she wants to get away from the memories of suffering even more.

Her final dilemma of the day occurs to her as she slips her field guide back into her bag.

 _…I don't have a watch._

* * *

A blonde young woman nervously taps the surface of a dining room table, glancing at the clock.

3:21 PM.

 _Maybe she's too busy,_ she wonders, not even noticing that the bag at her feet is producing an ethereal whining sound, the zipper being inched open with determination. _But I can't wait any longer to get a start on the ruins. Would it be possible to get there just on repels? Well, then I still won't know anything about the temple besides the few paragraphs I've found in the professors' books…_

Footsteps ascending the stairs from the lab catch her ear and she turns, seeing a broad-shouldered man entering the living area. He looks surprised to see her, adjusting his white cap as he asks, "Change your mind about the ruins, Lillie?"

"No, but I'm afraid the oracle might have," Lillie responds with a slight frown, her hands now going to fidget with her own hat that lies on the table. Hating to be a burden, she bites her lip as she timidly questions, "Are you sure there isn't a way to contact her? Just to check. I-I can tell Nebby is getting impatient." At the mention of its name, the creature in her bag halts its operation to open the zipper, instead letting out a cosmic tinkling in agreement.

Professor Kukui scratches the back of his neck, wracking his brain for any way to contact the oracle. Thinking back on it now, he's only caught glimpses of the girl since they first found her, and his last interaction was when he finally convinced her to take a field guide before she entered (her new life) the temple. "Moon is a tricky wahine to get in touch with. If you want, I could call up Hala and ask if he's seen her."

The assistant shakes her head, feeling a lump of guilt that has been conditioned into her body. "No, no, that's fine," she insists, fingers still gripping the brim of her sun hat. The clock's hands continue to move, settling into the new position of 3:25. "I'll wait a little longer and then go myself."

"Well, if you want to stock up on any more repels, there's plenty down in the lab."

She thinks of that lab, dimly lit and underground. The glow of the computer, the hum of machines that have uses beyond her understanding. It quickly transforms into another lab, the one with a shrieking alarm, with a sterile smell that she still can't get out of her nose, the one that she ran from with lungs on fire and legs straining.

Lillie does her best to hide her shudder. "I should have enough."

Kukui nods, and continues on his way out. "I'll be doing some field work until dinner, but I'll have my Dex on me so call if you need anything."

She gives a small wave, and as the front door slams shut behind him, the creature in her bag completes its task and frees itself, floating up with an otherworldly chirp. "Nebby!" she chides, though she doesn't have the heart to scold the beast as usual, considering how long it's spent trapped in her bag today just waiting. Nebby twirls around her, and she sighs, telling the Pokémon, "I know it's uncomfortable, but I need you to keep still."

Nebby pauses in front of her with a frown and a whine.

"Please don't give me that face." The frown deepens, eyes growing wide with disappointment. Lillie does her best to not budge on the matter, telling the restless creature, "We can't risk anyone seeing you, not even the oracle. I don't know who we can trust. It's dangerous enough that I'm taking you through Iki Town so brazenly."

The Cosmog ceases its whining, seeing her point and glumly descending through the air and back into her bag, hiding within its depths. Lillie gives it a smile of pity. "Just a little longer, and then we'll be at the temple." Then the zipper is closed once more and for once Nebby has heeded her warning and remains quiet.

She's used to waiting. Years have been spent biding her time, gritting her teeth and baring the horrible waiting and need for patience even as she tosses and turns at night. A few weeks of digging her nails into the palms of her hands here, a month of staring numbly at the ground there; she has made time pass in the worst ways and survived it.

What's ten more minutes?

But then she knows she's spent too much of her life sitting patiently, and so she stands, grabbing her hat and her bag and heading out the door.

She squints, the beach nearly glowing under the afternoon sun, to the point that the shade of her hat does little to help. Still, the golden sand and swaying grass is a peaceful sight to behold, and it gives her a small smile and an inkling of confidence that she'll be able to make it by herself.

 _After all, I've made it this far._

* * *

Moon is used to running for her life.

Running to make an appointment is an entirely new experience.

Her legs burn and her breathing is labored. The lack of adrenaline from trying to survive really makes a difference, and even Ku is trying not to lag behind as he runs beside her down the well-worn path from Hau'oli City towards the professor's laboratory.

 _I need a watch,_ some part of her mind that isn't running thinks, _But first I need money for a watch._

As she sees the sands of the beach coming into view, Moon considers giving up. By the time she managed to get a glance at the clock in the convenience store, it was twenty minutes past three and probably too late to salvage this. On the bright side, if the assistant really has given up, then it means the oracle can stop running, can stop gnawing on her bottom lip, can stop dreading having to be everything she isn't for a stranger.

But then her guilt kicks in, and the stone bouncing against her collarbone is cold; even if she were to turn around and continue with her day, she'd go right back to worrying over the tapu instead of a research assistant. She feels her legs growing unsteady, and though she tries to push on they grind to a walk once her feet hit the sand.

Her eyes catch the movement of the front door swinging open, and her eyes are blinded as the sun reflects a figure of pure white. Moon squints, and makes out a pale face, green eyes, and blond hair that stops her in her tracks, a few feet away from the porch of the shed. The girl doesn't spot her until she's halfway down the steps, and she jumps in her skin, a pale hand to her chest as she regains her composure. "Oh, are you the oracle?"

Moon nods. Beside her, Ku tilts his head, observing the young woman in front of them. He takes a few steps forward, watching as the girl walks closer, pausing just a foot away.

"I'm Lillie, the research assistant. I can't thank you enough for agreeing to show me the temple. The professor tells me you can be very busy, so I don't want to take too much of your time."

Moon hums. Ku's body relaxes, and his tail moves almost playfully as Lillie fidgets awkwardly under the gaze of the oracle. Her green eyes fall on the Jangmo-o, and they widen as she asks, "Is this your Pokémon?"

"Kind of." His unused Pokéball is collecting dust in her bag, and Moon isn't so sure the dragon would agree with that statement either. "It's more like he lived in the temple before me, and now we take care of each other," she rambles, before cutting herself off. _Show her the temple, not your life._

Lillie grips the strap of her bag, her eyes flashing with fear as they remain focused on Ku. "Is he friendly, for lack of a better word?"

"If you don't touch him," Moon mumbles, trying not to smile at the memory of him nearly biting the hand off the scientist the other day. Ku seems to remember as well, looking up at his owner with a proud puff of his chest.

It's enough to let Lillie relax, so that at least her gaze can meet Moon's once more. When it does, the two pause, something tugging at their memories. Before Moon can open her mouth, Lillie blurts, "Do I know you, somehow? You look familiar to me, but I can't exactly place why."

And Moon feels the same, a sort of itch at the back of her brain that she can't reach. "I'm not sure," she mumbles, because she realizes that she can't even begin to explain to a stranger everything she's been through. Somehow, she highly doubts this research assistant needs to know about how she woke up all those years ago with a blank memory and a battered body.

Lillie nods, shaking off the déjà vu. "Odd. Of course, I've never been very social, and I feel like I would remember meeting someone as important as an oracle."

But she was someone before she was an oracle (wasn't she?). Moon instead shrugs, and feels Ku growing restless from them standing around. "Should we head up?" she suggests awkwardly, feeling herself growing more and more uncomfortable the closer they get to talking about a past that alludes her.

Lillie's mind flickers to the cosmic creature in her bag, thankful that Nebby hasn't grown restless yet, and she decides she's not going to push her luck. "Yes, let's."

And they begin the walk to the temple, their steps weighed down by the secrets they both keep.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Meant to get this out earlier, oops, but if I'm being honest I've been having a rough week so a delay was only natural.**

 **We're also really about to dive into how awkward and anxious Moon is around people because apparently I love to make her suffer? Fun.**


	5. Chapter 5

By the time they reach Iki Town, Moon has spoken more to Lillie than she has to everyone else in the past month combined.

Though she does her best to restrain herself, Lillie is full of curiosity and urgency, knowing this may be her only chance to help the creature she knows so little about in her bag. She asks about what the duties of an oracle include, how old the temples are, if the tapu physically resides in the temple - complicated, old, and not technically. With notepad and pen in hand, she furiously scribbles all the information she can, feeling more and more confident that she's made the right decision to risk Nebby being seen in order to speak to the oracle.

Moon, on the other hand, is more and more confident that she's no longer capable of holding conversations. Her words stumble and falter, her sentences are jilted at best, and she can barely finish a thought out loud. Tapu Koko doesn't have time for words, doesn't have time for explanations. Her mouth feels tired and her hands itch for something to do, so she keeps a steady pace towards the temple. Ku leads the way on Mahalo Trail, the sound of his scales sending wild Pokémon scattering. He delights in chasing them away, looking back at his owner with a proud smirk. Moon chuckles, shaking her head before focusing again on the path; Mahalo Trail is full of bumps and dips, and she's learned from a fair share of bruises and skinned hands that she needs to pay attention.

Lillie keeps up the pace, cursing that her handwriting gets increasingly bumpy with the terrain. She considers asking the oracle to slow down, but she doesn't want to be a bother, and from the occasional tinkling sounds coming from her bag, it seems Nebby also wants to hurry this along. Stumbling up the trail, Lillie finishes up her last bullet before she gathers her final thoughts. "And are there any higher authorities than the tapus? Like some larger deity?"

Moon frowns in thought. It's been harder than she expected to answer all these questions, because while she lives the life of an oracle, she's never had to explain what that actually means. Not only that, but because of Tapu Koko's aversion to speaking beyond short commands, the only way she's been able to learn the history of the tapus is through piecing together visions and her reading done at the library. "There's the myth surrounding the creation of Alola, but everyone knows that, and Tapu Koko has never mentioned the deity in that myth."

The steps behind her slow down slightly. "Ah, right."

Lillie doesn't know it. Even with her lackluster social skills, Moon can pick up on it, and it's surprising enough to make her halt and turn with wide eyes.

She tries not to fidget under Moon's gaze and is careful with her wording to keep from revealing too much. "My mother stopped telling me stories about the tapus and Alola's myths when I was young," she explains, eyes firmly on the ground and stomach turning at the memory, "I've tried doing my research, but I didn't even know about oracles until last week."

 _Oh, no one knows about the oracles_ , Moon thinks. She's barely recognized outside of Iki Town, and Hala's mentioned that over on Ula'ula, Hau seems to meet less and less people who are aware that oracles still exist. What startles Moon more is the fact that Lillie doesn't know the original creation myth, or the mythology surrounding the tapus, since so many of Alola's citizens pride themselves on telling their children these stories with care.

Ku lets out an inquisitive growl as to why they've stopped moving, snapping Moon out of her thoughts. "Well, um," she stammers, not sure how to summarize a story that is as old as time itself. "It's about a creature who brought life to Alola by turning into the sun. That brought the tapus out of dormancy. Then, when the sunlight was too harsh for the islands, it turned into the moon, and we have hundred-year cycles based on it."

Lillie's eyes light up; this sounds like exactly what she's looking for. She writes furiously in her notepad as she rambles, "Oh, thank you, this is incredibly helpful! Are there any speculations as to where this creature may have come from?"

"Space, I guess."

 _Exactly like -_

A cosmic twinkle chimes in Lillie's bag. Moon raises a brow, but before she can think to question it, Lillie quickly says, "Oh, the professor must have sent me a message on my Dex." She swallows the guilt of having to lie to someone who's been nothing but helpful to her, and prays that Nebby can pick up on the hint to remain silent and unseen. When she finishes writing her note, she looks back up with a sheepish grin. "Do you happen to know where I might be able to find out more? I know we're already delayed in seeing the temple and I would hate to waste too much of your time."

"The library in Hau'oli City." The answer flows off her lips as easy as the rain drips from her roof, and her eyes nearly sparkle as she adds, "The librarian is very helpful. Ask her and she can find you anything."

Lillie deflates slightly, unable to help herself as she says, "Oh. I've heard that Malie City's library has a better collection, but I haven't had time to get over there."

"I wouldn't know."

There's a sadness in her eyes that makes Lillie's stomach twinge, and everything in her being wants to fix it. "Well, I'm planning to go later this week, and you're more than welcome to join."

Moon feels the cold stone on her collarbone. "I can't." When Lillie opens her mouth to protest, she quickly cuts her off, "Oracles can't leave the island unless the tapu orders it."

Her voice is calm and level, but her eyes give her away. Lillie's grip on her pencil and notepad loosen, and she feels pity and wonder making her body go slack. "Have you ever left this island?" she asks, because she knows what it feels like to be caged, to know your captor, to resign yourself to waiting and waiting and _waiting_. She always thought she must be the only one, that surely someone as powerful as an oracle knew true freedom.

But Moon only turns, continuing up the trail with her Jangmo-o at her side as she mutters, "The temple is just past the bridge."

And they walk in silence, one of them sure they couldn't be more different, and the other realizing how similar they might be.

* * *

Lillie feels herself stop breathing when she catches sight of the temple, with its moss-covered stone crumbling but still climbing into the sky, the lush jungle around it seeming to avoid it with reverence. This area of Melemele Island seems much quieter, the air heavy with respect and centuries of worship. She has never been a particularly spiritual person, but even she knows the gravity of the land she's walking on.

Moon watches her expression carefully, before mumbling, "We can go inside." She immediately feels stupid for saying it, and bites her tongue, waiting for Lillie's shock and awe to subside so she can properly answer.

It takes a moment, but eventually her jaw closes and she blinks the wonder out of her eyes when she turns to look at the oracle. "Yes, please. I especially want to see the shrine, if that's all right, of course."

In lieu of a response, Moon shrugs. Technically, Tapu Koko wants visitors to refrain from entering the shrine room unless specifically looking to make an offering or to seek guidance from the tapu. However, considering how cold the stone around her neck is and Tapu Koko's extended absence, Moon has a feeling she won't be having to explain herself to a tempestuous deity.

She begins walking into the temple, Ku at her feet and Lillie keeping pace, doing her best not to trip on stacks of stones or misstep into a hole in the ground. "And you care for all of this?" she asks breathlessly, trying to wrap her head around how a structure as old as time, though beginning to go into ruins, could remain standing for eternity.

"I care for the shrine." Moon guides them further down the corridor, though it feels odd to be in the temple without the presence of warriors in her mind. Freed from the weight that Tapu Koko carries, it's strange to look at the temple, nothing more than a pile of stone – a pile of stone that dictates her entire life more than she ever will.

"Right, I suppose it would be difficult for just one person to try and maintain the entire building, especially one as old as this."

"It used to be that the entire island would care for it," Moon says, eyes roaming the walls as she feels a twinge of nostalgia for a time she's never known.

Lillie tilts her head, avoiding a pile of rocks as she asks, "What happened?"

 _They learned better than to pray for war._

 _They moved on from the past._

 _They left me here to wither._

"Don't know."

As they venture further into the temple, Lillie feels her bag beginning to shake; clearly, Nebby is growing restless. While it confirms her suspicion that she's on the right track, it also makes her hands shake with the fear that the ethereal creature will burst from her bag and reveal itself. When they reach the shrine room, she tries to subtly nudge the side of her bag to let Nebby know that it needs to stop rustling so much. She can see Moon's Jangmo-o eying the bag with curiosity, and her paranoia only grows.

"Something wrong?"

Lillie jumps at least three inches off the ground, heart racing in her chest as her eyes land on Moon, who watches her with a slight frown. "I'm fine," she says, doing her best to keep the aftermath of being startled from invading her voice. She swallows, doing her best to cover her growing bundles of nerves. "Why do you ask?"

Moon shrugs. "You've been quiet." She figured that the plethora of questions being thrown her way would multiply the second they reached the most important room in the temple, but instead Lillie has been silent for much of the walk. Then there's the iron grip she has on the handle of her bag (a bag that Ku seems increasingly interested in for some reason). Not sure if she should pry or let it be, Moon chooses to do what she's always done: give everyone around her enough space to run.

She turns and walks towards the shrine, the statue still and covered in leis that are beginning to wither. This morning she arranged the small amount of food left, but it remains on the platform, causing her to frown; by this time the tapu would have claimed it all by now and it would be gone.

Lillie follows a few steps behind her, still visibly on edge. She distracts herself from Nebby's need to escape by reminding herself to ask questions and gather information. "Are these offerings?"

The oracle nods. "Tapu Koko has yet to claim them."

"Why is that?"

Moon shrugs. _He doesn't tell me anything, just uses me to scare thugs and get into bar fights nowadays._ "He's visiting another island."

The notepad is back in her hands, and Moon tries not to let her stomach sink into the floor. Lillie's pencil begins working at lightning speed, her eyes alight as she notes the layout of the temple and shrine along with the oracle's answers. "Is he visiting another tapu?"

Moon nods.

"Does he do that often?"

She shakes her head.

"What's the purpose of this particular visit?"

She hesitates. Truth be told, Tapu Koko has always struck her as secretive (but then that wasn't an issue when no one dared to ask her). There's also the issue that she has no idea what Lillie plans to do with this information; she didn't think to ask – that's a muscle that has long since atrophied from being Tapu Koko's oracle. Still, the research assistant is possibly the least threatening person she's ever met, and though she doesn't know the professor well, the association with Kukui means that she's at least fairly trustworthy.

Moon looks to the shrine, at the shriveling leis around the statue that she knows better than her own mind. Lillie follows her gaze, lips parted in confusion at the silence she's waiting through. She's about to take back the question, insist that it's fine and that she's overstepped, but then Moon says quietly, "I'm not sure. He's worried. It seems like some of the other tapus might be in danger."

The sound of pencil on paper slows as the gravity of Moon's voice brings Lillie back into the strange reality she's found herself in ever since that fateful day in the laboratory. Moon won't meet her gaze, but she keeps looking at the young woman and trying to decipher the concern in her eyes. "It's a good thing they all have each other," she mumbles, refusing to give up her silver lining outlook (although in this case it feels more like copper or tin).

Moon can't help the one-note laugh. "They hate each other."

"Really? But I thought they lived in harmony."

"They live in isolation," she explains, eyes on the statue as she dissects it and finds the tempestuous child underneath it all. The situation with the tapus has never failed to amuse and annoy her, with a history that feels like a series of temper tantrums, just scaled up and with little regard for the lives they ruin and mold. "If they didn't, they'd be at each other's throats. Tapu Koko wants power and domination, the others...I don't know. But they keep to themselves because most of their meetings devolve into a fight. The last war the region saw was because of them."

 _The Battle Royal_ , Lillie remembers, unable to share in the smirk of the joke since her carefully constructed image of the island deities is slowly ripped apart, _It's to replicate those very fights._ The more she stews on the thought, the stronger the pang in her chest becomes, watching Moon bitterly smile.

 _And you're stuck in the very thick of it with no say._

 _And now I am, too._

A heavy, suffocating silence keeps them looking at the shrine, Lillie wrapping her head around revelations and Moon sitting with the ones she's come to long ago.

They jump when Ku lets out a growl, crouching and cornering the otherworldly creature that's escaped its bag. Lillie's eyes are wide with fear, her voice stolen from her before she manages to stammer, "N-Nebby! What are you -"

Moon feels her mouth go slack, watching the microcosm of the cosmos floating in the temple, what appears to be its eyes full of fear and flitting towards the statue. "What is that?" she asks, marveling at the sight and feeling her hands dive into her bag of their own accord, searching desperately. She pulls out her field guide, but immediately flips to the back, glancing from her drawings of Ultra Beasts to the creature in front of her and trying to find any connection.

Ku keeps growling and releases a small burst of blue flames that Nebby manages to avoid by floating higher into the air. Nebby's eyes brim with sparkling tears as Ku continues his onslaught, and it lets out a cry for help that pierces Lillie's chest. With desperation clear on her face she turns to Moon, pleading, "I'll tell you but please, please call off your Jangmo-o! If Nebby's hurt, I...Nebby might..."

"Ku, stop." The blue flames disappear, but Nebby remains cowering in the corner, Ku still crouched even if his growling is silent. Moon frowns, closing her field guide and running past Lillie to put herself in between the two creatures, arms stretched wide as she stares Ku down. "Stop. Don't hurt someone that can't defend themselves."

Lillie watches with baited breath, but Moon isn't worried as she continues to look the Jangmo-o in the eye, slowly relaxing her body. Ku follows suit hesitantly, straightening up and backing away, eyes flickering between Moon and Nebby before finally settling on Moon.

She smiles as she steps towards him and gives Ku a scratch on the head. "Thank you." When she turns, Lillie is already by Nebby's side, checking it for injuries before gently scolding the creature. Moon and Ku watch with wide, curious eyes before Moon remembers she has a pencil in her bag and digs it out. She opens the field guide in her hands to the next empty page in the back and settles for trying to roughly sketch Nebby as it floats and frowns.

Once Ku and Nebby have calmed down, Lillie is helpless to stop the ethereal creature from bounding off to the statue, watching as it spins and floats, seeming to examine the shrine and practically glow from simply being in the temple. She's not entirely sure what it means, but she's never seen Nebby so happy, and it brings a smile to her face.

Until she remembers that they aren't alone and now it's her turn to do a lot of explaining to the eager and curious young woman who looks between Nebby and the research assistant with wide eyes. Lillie sighs, holding onto the gut feeling that she can trust Moon as she tells her, "Everything that I'm about to tell you, I must ask you to keep extremely confidential. It must not leave this room."

And as they sit on the steps to the shrine, Lillie explaining, Moon can't help the thrill of adrenaline that goes through her.

There's something bigger than herself, than the tapu, going on.

And she finally gets to be a part of it, no matter how small.

* * *

 **A/N:** **This is a little rough but here's Nebby and some more world-building lore.**

 **Bonus drinking game: take a shot every time I refer to Nebby as "ethereal creature" because reality has drained me of creativity or the will to just look at a damn thesaurus.**


End file.
